Monday, May 26, 2014


News Clips For The Day


'Crisis of Confidence' as Far Right and Euroskeptic Parties Win Big in Europe – NBC
BY ALEXANDER SMITH
First published May 26th 2014

Europe awoke to what some called a political earthquake on Monday, after far-right, anti-immigration and Euroskeptic parties gained significant ground in elections for the European Parliament.

Britain and France were the most notable examples of where voters shunned mainstream political groups and instead opted for parties that want to withdraw from the European Union all together.

French President Francois Hollande called an emergency meeting for Monday in response to the poll, which saw the anti-immigration National Front party win the most votes.

The result was described as "a shock, an earthquake," by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

"We are in a crisis of confidence...Europe has disappointed - that's a fact," he said.

The European Parliament acts in a similar way to Congress, but for the European Union. The elections across its 28 member states have been underway since last week, and at 500 million voters comprises the biggest electorate on the planet behind India.

Although the center-left and center-right groups held onto more than 70 percent of the European Parliament's 751 seats, the result is expected to stunt the body's ability to agree on major issues and could potentially stymie agreements with other countries such as the United States.

"This result will make the wheels of the European Parliament grind even more slowly," said Catherine Fieschi, director of the U.K.-based political research group Counterpoint.

Fieschi told NBC News that Euroskeptics on the right have the potential to be a disruptive influence on policy making, and Euroskeptics on the left would oppose initiatives, such as the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a free trade agreement with the U.S, for more ideological reasons.

"Right across Europe people are fed up with the way politics is being done - they think it' unaccountable and opaque," said Fieschi. "The voters have sent a message about the way political parties operate."

Another factor in the result was the turnout - just over 40 percent of people voted across the continent.

Parties like the National Front and Britain's United Kingdom Independence Party were able to mobilize their support in a way the mainstream parties could not.

In Britain, the two largest parties, the Conservatives and Labour, were beaten to second and third place by the United Kingdom Independence Party - more commonly known as UKIP - which has caused recent tremors in the country's political landscape with its fervently anti-EU message.

UKIP's leader Nigel Farage called the election "just about the most extraordinary result that has been seen in British politics for 100 years," after his party won 27.5 percent of the vote and with it 23 European lawmakers.

Elsewhere, the anti-Islamic and Euroskeptic Dutch Freedom Party came in joint second in Holland. In Greece, the left-wing but also Euroskeptic Syriza party won most of the votes but failed to gain enough ground to dislodge the country's mainstream coalition.


Euroscepticism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Euroscepticism (sometimes euroskepticism) is the body of criticism of the European Union (EU), and opposition to the process of political European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state. Other views occasionally seen as eurosceptic include perceptions of the EU being undemocratic or too bureaucratic.[1][2]A Eurobarometer survey of EU citizens in 2009 showed that support for membership of the EU was lowest in Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Hungary.[3]:91–3 Euroscepticism is found in political parties across the left and right spectrum.


http://www.debatingeurope.eu/2014/01/29/whats-difference-eurosceptics-far-right/#.U4Mv7IFdVkk

What’s the difference between Eurosceptics and the far right?
 Started 29/01/2014

Across the European Union – from France to Finland – mainstream politicians are eyeing the rise of “Europe’s Tea Parties” with growing concern. Anti-EU, anti-immigration parties are surfing the wave of popular discontent formed in the wake of the Eurozone crisis, and they hope an electorate frustrated with high unemployment and a faltering economic recovery will be motivated to vote for them in historic numbers at the upcoming European Parliament elections in May.

Will YOU vote for a party of  Eurosceptics in the May 2014 European elections? Or do you still believe in European integration? Don’t forget to take part in our Debating Europe Vote 2014 to make your voice heard!

Despite recent attempts at cooperation between Marine Le Pen of France’s National Front and Geert Wilders of the Dutch Party for Freedom, the only common ground between these parties is a shared dislike for immigration and the EU. Simply put: in terms of working with other like-minded groups across Europe, the biggest challenge for nationalist parties is that they are nationalist parties.

Above all, nobody wants to be tainted with the brush of “far right” politics. We had a comment sent in by Tony, for example, arguing that to “put all Eurosceptics in the same basket as Le Pen and Wilders is a gross misrepresentation”.

UKIP is different from those parties in two ways. First, we are for full withdrawal from the European Union with no messing about. We just don’t want to be part of this political union – we feel it is undemocratic, it’s very expensive for our taxpayers, and we just want to withdraw from it completely. The other two parties you mentioned are not withdrawalists. As far as I know, they just want to grumble about the EU and try and change it.

But the key thing is that Le Pen’s party in particular has all of this antisemitism and racism. It’s got all that baggage, and we don’t want anything to do with that in UKIP. That’s not necessarily Eurosceptic, it’s something else which in the UK is represented by the British National Party.





“The European Parliament acts in a similar way to Congress, but for the European Union. The elections across its 28 member states have been underway since last week, and at 500 million voters comprises the biggest electorate on the planet behind India....Although the center-left and center-right groups held onto more than 70 percent of the European Parliament's 751 seats, the result is expected to stunt the body's ability to agree on major issues and could potentially stymie agreements with other countries such as the United States.” The article mentions in particular that “Euroskeptics on the left would oppose initiatives, such as the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a free trade agreement with the U.S....”

The article comparing UKIP and National Front the French party, both of which won over mainstream parties, says that National Front has “racist and anti-semitic baggage” whereas the UK party claims it does not. A common thread in this political movement is that the EU “weakens” the powers of the individual nations. “...the biggest challenge for nationalist parties is that they are nationalist parties. Above all, nobody wants to be tainted with the brush of 'far right politics.'” Is a unified and therefore larger power and economic base worth the loss of autonomy? With Russia trying to spread its power out across Eastern Europe again, I would think it would be. The website www.debatingeurope.eu is very interesting and is an ongoing argument of issues about European relations. People who want to look into modern European relations might well enjoy looking at the site.




Ukraine's New President Poroshenko Says Peace Is 'Main Priority
The Associated Press
First published May 26th 2014

Ukraine's new president-elect wasted no time Monday immediately focusing on the top issues at hand — promising to negotiate an end to a pro-Russia insurgency in the east and saying he was willing to begin talks with Moscow.

Russia quickly welcomed the offer from 48-year-old chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko, raising hopes that his election will indeed ease the protracted crisis that has fueled tensions unseen since the end of the Cold War.

Poroshenko, known for his pragmatism, supports building strong ties with Europe but also has stressed the importance of mending relations with Moscow. Upon claiming victory in Sunday's vote, he said his first step as president would be to visit the Donbass eastern industrial region, where pro-Russia separatists have seized government buildings, declared independence and battled government troops in weeks of fighting.

"Peace in the country and peace in the east is my main priority," Poroshenko said Monday, signaling that he would bring to an end the Ukrainian army's much-criticized campaign to drive out the armed pro-Russia separatists.

"The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months," he said. "It should and will last hours."

The military operation has caused civilian deaths and destroyed property — angering many eastern residents — while still failing to crush the rebellion.

The president-elect also had harsh words for the pro-Russia gunmen, comparing them to Somalia pirates.

"Their goal is to turn Donbass into a Somalia where they would rule with the power of machine guns. l will never allow that to happen on the territory of Ukraine," Poroshenko said, adding that he hoped Russia would support his efforts to stabilize the east.

In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia appreciated Poroshenko's statements about the importance of Ukraine's ties with Russia and his pledge to negotiate an end to fighting in the east.

"We are ready for dialogue with representatives of Kiev, with Petro Poroshenko," Lavrov said at a briefing, adding it was a chance that "cannot be wasted." He emphasized that Moscow saw no need for any involvement by the United States or the European Union in those talks.

With votes from 75 percent of the precincts counted Monday, Poroshenko was leading with about 54 percent in the field of 21 candidates. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was running a distant second with 13 percent. If those results hold, Poroshenko would avoid a runoff election next month with the second-place finisher.

Speaking to reporters, Poroshenko struck a tone of unity Monday, saying he had no "rivals or political opponents in the race" and all of the other main candidates have congratulated him on his win.

"More than ever, Ukraine now needs to be united," he said.




President Poroshenko stated, “'The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months," he said. "It should and will last hours.'" Of the pro-Russian militants he said “'Their goal is to turn Donbass into a Somalia where they would rule with the power of machine guns. l will never allow that to happen on the territory of Ukraine.'" Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said he welcomes talks, but that he “Moscow saw no need for any involvement by the United States or the European Union in those talks.”

Personally, I don't trust Putin and Russia to that extent. They want an unbalanced situation so they can make a power grab. Yesterday's election included votes from 75 percent of the precincts, which means that the separatists failed to derail the election with their strong arm methods. Hopefully Poroshenko will follow this Ukrainian majority vote by including EU or UN representatives in the peace talks to come. I wish him luck in quelling the separatists in the East by strictly peaceful means.

According to Wikipedia, Ukrainian is the native language of 65% of Ukraine's people, whereas Russian is only spoken by 33%, so the Russians have no moral ground to stand on in making a power grab by brute force. On the other hand, they do have need for guarantees of protection by the Ukrainian government, so rewriting the Ukrainian constitution might be needed to include those, and granting a greater autonomy in Russian dominated parts of Ukraine might be fair. That would only be true if Ukraine could be maintained as a unified nation and the Russian dominated areas gave protection to Ukrainian speakers there in reciprocity. Otherwise, it would be safer and better for the Ukrainian speakers to migrate to the north and western regions.

Allowing the south and eastern areas to separate from Ukraine would certainly be a mistake, weakening the country as a whole. Most of the industrialization and natural resources are located in the South and East. I would hate to see Ukraine lose its democratic features and be absorbed by Russia again.





Ban on microbeads in consumer products gains momentum – CBS
By BRUCE KENNEDY MONEYWATCH.COM May 26, 2014

Another state is pushing through legislation that would ban the use of a tiny but apparently environmentally hazardous product found in some popular beauty and skincare products.

On Friday, California's State Assembly voted in favor of a ban on microbeads -- the round bits of plastic, about the size of salt grains, that are used as abrasives in facial scrubs, toothpaste, soaps, bath gels and other products. The bill now moves on to the state Senate.

The bill's sponsor, Democratic Assemblyman Richard Bloom, says microbeads "are a significant part of the debris accumulating in the Pacific Ocean and are also found at alarming levels in our local waterways." Legislators in New York and Illinois are also considering measures that would ban microbeads.

Scientists say the non-biodegradable microbeads absorb chemicals, pesticides and other toxins that can eventually end up in the food chain -- and on our dinner plates. High concentrations of microbeads have also been found in The Great Lakes.

"By the time the plastic gets downstream towards the ocean, they become these toxic pills," Marcus Eriksen, executive director and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, an advocacy group that monitors plastic pollution in the world's oceans, recently told CBS News. "Even a small microbead, as it tumbles down stream, is picking up all kinds of industrial chemicals."

According toPlastic News,  microbeads became increasingly popular over the past decade in cosmetics and other products "as a gentle exfoliating alternative to items such as ground walnut shells, which can have sharp edges that tear sensitive skin or pose an allergy risk to some consumers."

And their popularity is such that the Natural Resources Defense Council reports microbeads can be found in more than 200 different consumer products -- and that Americans annually buy and use cosmetics containing over a half-million pounds of microbeads. 5 Gyres researchers, meanwhile, found that just one tube of a popular facial scrub can contain hundreds of thousands of microbeads.

Several major cosmetic and healthcare companies, including L'Oréal (LRLCY),Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Unilever (UN) say they are phasing out the use of plastic microbeads in their products over the next several years.

But trade groups representing cosmetic and personal care product manufacturers are urging the ban be delayed. In April, the D.C.-based Personal Care Products Council called on the Illinois Legislature to hold off on the ban of microbeads until the end of 2017, in order to minimize "marketplace disruptions for consumers."




The huge Pacific garbage patch has been in the news several times. It is the place in the ocean, and I understand there is a similar one in the Atlantic, where all the plastic items find their way to eventually. They come from rivers and boats on the ocean as people carelessly discard their garbage items in the water or on the ground, to be washed down by rain and then into the ocean.

One article I read said that the worst problem with plastic is that it doesn't truly biodegrade, but merely breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces which are often eaten by fish in the place of plankton and, therefore, fill up the animal's stomachs, so that they can't ingest true food anymore and then starve to death. That's really horrible. Apparently fish are eating these microbeads and then are eaten by humans.

More than killing wildlife, these microbeads absorb chemicals that are damaging to our health and end up in our foods. “Natural Resources Defense Council reports microbeads can be found in more than 200 different consumer products” containing over half a million pounds of microbeads. A number of large cosmetic companies say that they are gradually eliminating the use of microbeads in their products. That is good news. Trade groups are requesting a delay in the outright ban, however, until the year 2017 to limit the “marketplace disruptions to consumers.” Even if that happens, the ban is soon to take effect. This should be enacted by other states as well, and possibly by the federal legislature.




Ukraine Launches Air Strikes Against Gunmen – ABC


Ukraine's new president-elect on Monday promised to negotiate an end to a pro-Russia insurgency in the east, saying he was willing to begin talks with Moscow, while the Kiev government launched an air strike on militants who occupied a major airport.

Russia quickly welcomed Petro Poroshenko's offer for talks, raising hopes that his election will indeed ease the protracted crisis that has fueled tensions unseen since the end of the Cold War.

But Ukraine's military launched airstrikes Monday against separatists who had taken over the airport in the eastern capital of Donetsk in what appeared to be the most visible operation of the Ukrainian troops since they started a crackdown on insurgents last month.

In Donetsk, a city of one million, sustained artillery and gun fire was heard from the airport. Fighter jets and military helicopters were seen flying overhead, and dense black smoke rose in the air.

An Associated Press journalist saw several vehicles full of dozens of heavily armed men arrive to the area adjacent to the airport. Half an hour later, several flatbed trucks full of reinforcements came in.

Vladislav Seleznyov, a spokesman for Kiev's anti-terrorist operation, wrote on his Facebook account that the military had given an ultimatum to the armed men who had occupied the airport to lay down their arms. He said the gunmen didn't comply and the military launched an air strike.

Denis Pushilin, a leader of the separatists, said they had sent their men to the airport after some of their supporters were detained.

Many flights to or from Donetsk were delayed or canceled on Monday. Access to the airport was blocked by police.

In Kiev, international observers hailed Ukraine's presidential vote as a "genuine election," saying it was held freely and fairly.

Candy magnate Poroshenko, known for his pragmatism, supports building strong ties with Europe but also has stressed the importance of mending relations with Moscow. Upon claiming victory in Sunday's vote, he said his first step as president would be to visit the Donbass eastern industrial region, where pro-Russia separatists have seized government buildings, declared independence and battled government troops in weeks of fighting.

"Peace in the country and peace in the east is my main priority," Poroshenko said Monday, signaling that he would bring to an end the Ukrainian army's much-criticized campaign to drive out the armed pro-Russia separatists.

The tycoon looked decidedly cool and composed Sunday night when the exit poll results were announced. On Monday, he got emotional when he was asked about the crisis in the east.

"The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months," he said. "It should and will last hours."

The military operation has caused civilian deaths and destroyed property — angering many eastern residents — while still failing to crush the rebellion.

The president-elect also had harsh words for the pro-Russia gunmen, comparing them to Somalian pirates.





My question from an hour ago about how the new president would peacefully vanquish the Russian separatists has been answered. He will fight first and make peace later. He has brought in fighter planes and helicopters at the airport and a large number of troops on the ground – “several vehicles full of dozens of heavily armed men arrive to the area adjacent to the airport. Half an hour later, several flatbed trucks full of reinforcements came in.” Kiev gave the Russians at the airport an ultimatum to lay down their arms and they refused, therefore the attack on the airport was begun. Police have blocked off access to the airport and flights have been canceled or delayed. Time will tell what success he will have.




Family Sues Teachers Over Cult Allegations – ABC


A Connecticut couple alleges in a federal lawsuit that their three daughters were "indoctrinated" into a cult by public high school staff and suffered severe personality changes, including becoming "flat and distant."

The parents, known only as Jane and John Doe in court documents, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Monday against three current and former Spanish teachers and a guidance counselor at Avon High School, the Avon school system and Wellesley College in Massachusetts, which two of their daughters now attend.

Officials with the school district in Avon, a wealthy Hartford suburb, did not comment on the allegations but said in a statement that they hadn't heard any similar complaints in the past.

The parents allege deprivation of civil rights and constitutional violations including failure to separate church and state, among other claims. Their daughters, ages 22, 19 and 16, also aren't named.

One of the parent's lawyers, Paul Grosswald, of Summit, New Jersey, declined to comment Friday, saying "the family has decided not to pursue any publicity at this time."

"All three girls experienced sudden and severe personality changes," the lawsuit says. "They became flat and distant, reclusive, secretive, and non-communicative. They lost their humor and their empathy."

The couple says their two older daughters were "indoctrinated into a religious cult that promotes martyrdom and celebrates death," and that has caused them to experience "fantasies of suicide ideation and martyrdom." They didn't name the cult.

Messages were left for the three teachers and guidance counselor Friday.

Steven Hassan, a mental health counselor who has written books on cults and mind control, said there have been cases where teachers exert undue influence on students, but it typically does not last long because the parents go to school administrators. He said he could not comment specifically about the Connecticut case.

The Avon school district's statement said officials "will continue to review the content of the complaint and have turned the matter over to our school district legal counsel."

The Associated Press left a message with Avon police for comment on whether it had received any related criminal complaints.

The lawsuit says one teacher "taught her students to believe in superstition, magic, and a non-scientific, anti-intellectual worldview. She would discuss spirituality, numerology, astrology, dreams, mysticism, looking for 'signs,' angels, symbols, 'synchronicity,' 'negativity,' 'seeking the truth,' and death."

The parents say Wellesley College, near Boston, contributed to the indoctrination by allowing the two older daughters to stay in summer housing to which they weren't entitled. The arrangement allowed the teachers to continue to have access to the two, allowing the indoctrination to continue, the parents allege.

A spokeswoman for Wellesley declined to comment Friday.




"'All three girls experienced sudden and severe personality changes," the lawsuit says. "They became flat and distant, reclusive, secretive, and non-communicative. They lost their humor and their empathy.' ...The couple says their two older daughters were "indoctrinated into a religious cult that promotes martyrdom and celebrates death," and that has caused them to experience "fantasies of suicide ideation and martyrdom.' They didn't name the cult,” but said that Wellesley College allowed the teachers to have access to the young women by enabling their stay on campus for the summer. The Wellesley College website states that the college supports all world religions, but is sponsored by none.

This story is full of mystery, as the religion described above doesn't sound like Islam, but the parents said that martyrdom was one of the goals. The teachers were Spanish teachers, who could be predicted to be Catholic if they are native speakers. The parents claimed the collusion of a high school guidance counselor who would be American, presumably, and would probably follow no unusual religion. I will try to find out what religion this was. From the description, it could be a comparative religion course, rather than a religion per se. No comparative religion course should try to indoctrinate students to any creed, of course, so if this did really happen as the parents say, there will be a major scandal about it, I'm sure. Hopefully there will be more news about it. The parents allege “deprivation of civil rights and constitutional violations including failure to separate church and state, among other claims,” so there should be more in the news about it.




Prince William Returning to the Cockpit?
May 26, 2014
By ABC News | ABC News Blogs

Nearly one year after Britain's Prince William stepped away from his duties as a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force (RAF), new reports say the prince could be climbing back into the cockpit.

The U.K.'s Sunday Times reports William, 31, is seriously considering taking a "day job" with the East Anglian Air Ambulance service in Norfolk, near the country home he shares with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their nearly 1-year-old son, Prince George.

The reason for the change is that William is not yet ready to take on full-time royal engagements, according to the Times.

"The Duke is fully committed to his foundation and charities, but he feels he has not yet got flying out of his system," a royal aide told the Times.

William completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service before leaving operational service in the armed forces last September. As an RAF pilot, he reached the level of captain and garnered headlines when, in August 2012, he completed two rescues in four days.

As a pilot with the nonprofit East Anglian Air Ambulance, William would join a crew, "called to an average of four incidents per day," including, "life threatening situations such as road traffic accidents and medical emergencies," according to the unit's website.

"He absolutely loves flying and it gives him the opportunity to fly," said ABC News' royal contributor Victoria Murphy.

The palace has not confirmed the reports surrounding Prince William's future. In a statement to ABC News, the palace would say only, "The Duke is considering a number of options for public service."

In December of last year, the prince went back to school, attending a 10-week program in agricultural management at the University of Cambridge consisting of seminars, lectures and meetings.

An unnamed royal aide told the Sunday Times that Prince William has consulted with both his father, Prince Charles, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, about his plans and that the family is "fully supportive" of his plan.

"I think the Queen will be supportive of him having another role as well," said Murphy. "She wants him to be happy."




“William is not yet ready to take on full-time royal engagements.” Considering what kind of activity that usually is, I don't blame him. He's a young man, and like many he finds doing a difficult and important kind of flying in which he can save lives daily to be more exciting than receiving bouquets of flowers from little girls. It's a sign of good mental health and I'm glad to see it. He's staying close to home by joining the local unit of Air Ambulance Service, so he isn't separated from Kate. That's a more natural kind of life than the royal family usually has. He wants to be useful and fulfilled.




Killed The Mockingbird? American Classics Cut From British Reading List – NPR
by ARI SHAPIRO
May 26, 2014

For decades, British students have grown up reading the American classics To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men and The Crucible. Now, if students want to read those books, it will be on their own time. Harper Lee, John Steinbeck and Arthur Miller are out — perhaps replaced by the likes of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and George Eliot.

British Education Secretary Michael Gove has decided that the English literature list for a national exam needs to be more English, so he is swapping American texts in the curriculum for British ones. The new books have not yet been announced, but Gove's changes have prompted an outcry. "To Kill a Mockingbird" was trending on Twitter in London on Monday morning.

Many authors and academics noted the thematic parallels between the Education Department's actions and the themes of the books that are getting the ax. The Crucible uses the Salem witch hunts as a metaphor for McCarthyism. To Kill A Mockingbird teaches lessons about tolerance and diversity.

"I put this in the context of what's going on in Europe and the world at large, which is a growing nationalism, a growing suspicion of other people's perspectives and ideas and values," says Christopher Bigsby, professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia and author of a biography of Miller.

Gove "sees the point of education in English literature, in English history, as underlining the Englishness of it," Bigsby says. "Well, how do you know the Englishness unless you have another comparative perspective?"

In a statement, the U.K. Department of Education insisted that no books have been banned. The new guidance "does ensure pupils will learn about a wide range of literature, including at least one Shakespeare play, a 19th century novel written anywhere, and post-1914 fiction or drama written in the British Isles," a department spokesperson said. The statement also notes that the curriculum sets out minimum requirements and that teachers are free to add any additional texts to the syllabus.

The changes, first reported in the Sunday Times, focus specifically on a standardized test known as the GCSE, the General Certificate of Secondary Education. The new GSCE syllabus for English literature is scheduled to be published this week.




The English literature list for a national exam "needs to be more English, so he is swapping American texts formerly in the curriculum for British ones. The new books have not yet been announced, but Gove's changes have prompted an outcry....Many authors and academics noted the thematic parallels between the Education Department's actions and the themes of the books that are getting the ax. The Crucible uses the Salem witch hunts as a metaphor for McCarthyism. To Kill A Mockingbird teaches lessons about tolerance and diversity....'I put this in the context of what's going on in Europe and the world at large, which is a growing nationalism, a growing suspicion of other people's perspectives and ideas and values,' says Christopher Bigsby, professor of American Studies.”

I do believe this article about books is a close parallel to the EU article earlier today about growing nationalism across Europe. Is UKIP at work? Will censorship and antisemitism be far behind? The UK Department of Education disputes this, saying that the curriculum is to ensure “a wide range of literature” with a specified basic set, to which teachers may add what they wish, stressing that no books have been banned.

It does sound a little like the arguments around our Common Core in the US which is being carried out between some Tea Partiers and more progressive voices. In both cases at the center of the curricula is a national achievement test, which in their case it seems, had been excluding some of the classic British works. That is hard to believe. I certainly read several of those British works when I was in high school and even more in college. The aim of literature classes is to expose the students to excellent writing and not to indoctrinate them politically. I don't want to think England is going in that direction.